Hey guys sorry for the really late update I've been trying to find a new beta and on top of school has gone a lot more hectic. Anyway one more chapter after this. Plus hopefully by the end of this month I'll release two part special for Halloween.

When the sun had climbed high enough to shrink the shadows of the trees below into amorphous black dots, any creature with an ounce of common sense slithered, scurried and galloped under the nearest rock or into the closest cave. A lone figure stooped under a branch and displaced the fallen leaves with his bare, callused feet. Behind, a faint thuck-thuck trailed him, like a shadow, every time the wild boar hit a rock or dead branch. Its coarse, wiry fur dug into the black scabs spread out across his arms. At a leisurely pace, a single drop of sweat slid down every contour of his eyebrow ridges, tracing the curve of his nose before breaking off and plummeting into his open mouth. Loosening the grip of one arm, he pressed his fingers to the top of his head and dragged it across, brushing aside sticky locks of auburn hair, reuniting his hand with the all too familiar small stabs of pain. A small grunt parted from his cracked lips as he resumed the trek with nothing but trees for company.

As the sun continued on its leisurely stroll across the sky, his clothes became stickier and damper. With each shaky step, his breathing became louder. By the time he reached the tenth, he had collapsed onto his knees. Just ahead, he could make out two dark silhouettes standing by a clearing. They were standing close to each other, making wild gestures with their arms, that from his distance looked more like long stumps. Hoisting himself back onto his legs, he dragged himself closer to where the stream was. Praying in the back of his mind that those were his brothers and not a bunch of animal shaped people. Gods, he'd had enough of those nasty creatures the night before. So determined was he, that he didn't hear the flap of wings until a cold gust of wind brushed against his back.

"So you've finally made it, yoi?"

Thatch nearly jumped out of his skin. "Shit, when the hell did you get here?"

Marco shrugged, "A few minutes ago. When you didn't show up at the clearing, figured you got lost so we started looking for you"

"What about the competition?"

"Haven't missed much. So far it's just been a tie in size so…" Marco scratched his hair, "The rules were changed to who caught the uglier creature and as you can see," He pointed across the stream "It's been a tie, yoi."

Thatch gave him a bemused look and Marco just shrugged. "Now that you're here, perhaps that thing you've caught can put an end to this."

Bending forward, Marco wrapped his arms around the brown and hairy cloven hooves of the boar and pulled it up. Together, they trekked across the small stream to the clearing where he could finally make out what they were saying.

Ace rubbed his nose, "Look, as much as I'd like to agree that the fungal infection on the bird's face you caught is pretty disgusting to look at and smell, I would first like to draw your attention to the gangrene pus leaking wound on this thing-Oh hey, Marco. You found Thatch." He craned his neck to the side, "What's that you got there?

Marco gave Thatch a you-see-the-kind-of-shit-I've-been-dealing-with look, and Thatch gave an awkward shrug in reply before they unceremoniously dumped the carcass onto the floor. Being the curious person he was, Ace scooted over to where the boar lay, bending as close as he dared.

After a few seconds, Ace turned to Thatch looking downright creeped out, which in turn freaked out Thatch, and made Marco and Jozu a bit uncomfortable.

"Dude, do you know what you've caught?"

"A boar."

Ace shook his head

"A really fat guinea pig?"

"A surefire win to this competition"

Ace shook his head, grinning.

After a few more seconds of this back and forth, Marco finally snapped. "Ace, if you know what this thing is why don't you tell us already?"

Ace gave Marco a toothy grin. "Nope!"

"Really, yoi?"

Ace nodded.

"So why ask us whether I'd recognize this thing in the first place?"

Ace grinned, "Just because."

Marco groaned and ran a hand through his hair which made Ace chuckle, leaving Thatch and Jozu even more confused.

"So-" Just before he could finish his thought, a loud explosion filled the air as a pillar of black smoke rose into the air. Out of habit, Marco, Thatch and Jozu turned to look at Ace. After spending a few semesters with a person who had a penchant of blowing things up, intentional or unintentional, you learned to be cautious about leaving him near anything that could remotely be set off.

"Ace, this isn't your doing, is it?" Jozu questioned as he crossed his arms.

Ace scowled, "Oh come on, I'm not even anywhere near explosive materials this time."

Thatch shook his head, "But if it's not Ace then-" He turned to Marco, "Mind giving us a bird's eye view brother"

Marco ran a hand across his face before he transformed into a phoenix. Without another gesture, he shot off into the sky. High above the trees, he allowed his body to hover, swiveling his gaze across the green canopies and felt anxiety grip his heart when he spotted where the pillar of smoke from. He opened his mouth and let out a shrill shriek. From his place on the ground, Thatch pursed his lips and as his eyes traced across the sky for the telltale blue flames. Beside him Jozu and Ace did the same.

"Found it!" Ace exclaimed, pointing his finger to the east, where a trail of blue fire eagerly feasted on the highest leaves. With Ace leading the pack, they took off hoping that their worst fears wouldn't manifest.